Wolters Kluwer Health may email you for journal alerts and information, but is committed
to maintaining your privacy and will not share your personal information without
your express consent. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

Economists and Epidemiologists: Variations on the Nobel Pursuit

Economics and epidemiology have some things in common. Both disciplines are built on observation rather than experiment–with few opportunities to test hypotheses in the most rigorous ways. Both disciplines compensate with sophisticated mathematical underpinnings. And while both groups have occasional moments of glory, both are subject to public skepticism (with economists bearing the brunt lately). There is one respect, however, in which the two fields seem to part company: Economists win Nobel Prizes. Epidemiologists do not.

Alfred Nobel created 5 annual prizes to reward those who “have conferred the greatest benefit” on humankind. In this issue of the journal, several prominent epidemiologists reflect on the 2008 Nobel Prize in Medicine, and the role played by epidemiologists in laying the groundwork for those accomplishments.1 Another perspective comes from Hans-Olov Adami, who has served on the Nobel Committee. Although such service places obligations of confidentiality, Adami provides a personal view on the chances that an epidemiologist might one day carry home the Prize.2

If truth be told, economists do not win Nobel Prizes either–there is no Nobel Prize in Economics. There is a Swedish Bank Prize for economics, created in 1968 by the Central Bank of Sweden and awarded “in honor of” Alfred Nobel. This bank prize, riding on the coattails of Alfred Nobel's Prizes, has been controversial since its inception.3 Regardless, it is not clear that the bank prize has provided a net benefit to the field it was intended to elevate. In the economic boom of the early 2000s, a high level of confidence was placed in the theories of certain confident economists, and we might wonder whether the reflected aura of Nobel's Prizes contributed to this abundance of confidence.

Epidemiologists tend by comparison to be more modest. (It does not help that we must regularly explain we are not skin doctors.) Our hard-won opinions come laden with limitations and uncertainties. More research, it seems, is always needed. A Nobel Prize or two would no doubt add some spring to our step. But would this change anything of substance? As our commentators note, epidemiologists may never carry home the medal, but there is plenty of evidence that we have helped to make the world a healthier place.

Enter and submit the email address you registered with. An email with instructions to reset your password will be sent to that address.

Email:

Password Sent

Link to reset your password has been sent to specified email address.

Remember me

What does "Remember me" mean?
By checking this box, you'll stay logged in until you logout. You'll get easier access to your articles, collections,
media, and all your other content, even if you close your browser or shut down your
computer.

To protect your most sensitive data and activities (like changing your password),
we'll ask you to re-enter your password when you access these services.

What if I'm on a computer that I share with others?
If you're using a public computer or you share this computer with others, we recommend
that you uncheck the "Remember me" box.